Cigarette chute



L. E. HARRlS.

May 5, 1953 CIGARETTE CHUTE 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 Filed July 18, 1949 INVENTOR. LOUISE E. HARRlS May 5, 1953 L. E. HARRIS CIGARETTE CHUTE Filed July 18, 1949 FIG- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR. LOUISE E. HARRIS v u ATTORNEY Patented May 5, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CIGARETTE CHUTE Louise E. Harris, Macon, Ga.

Application July 18, 1949, Serial No. 105,299

1 Claim.

This invention relates to public sanitation and more particularly to the disposition of cigar and cigarette butts which are discarded after the smoker has finished with them. Specifically, the invention is directed to structure for receiving and retaining cigar and cigarette fragments and the ashes produced from the burning of the same.

Various types of receptacles for cigar and cigarette butts have been provided in the past, some of which include open top relatively heavy receptacles containing sand, water or the like so that the fire of a burning cigarette or cigar may be thrust into the same thus extinguishing the fire. Other prior devices of this character have been constructed to operate on the exclusion of air to produce the same result, while still further devices are merely trays. Where there is substantial volume of discarded cigar and cigarette butts the immediate area usually becomes unsightly regardless of the type of receptacle that has been provided and the odor is ordinarily offensive or obnoxious.

It is an object of the invention to provide improved receiving structure the use of which will be more satisfactory from the viewpoint of efficiency, convenience, sanitation, and appearance.

Another object of the invention is to provide cigar and cigarette dsposal means which can be inexpensively produced of any desired size and capacity, which is relatively simple and can be easily installed, which is artistic in appearance, which will discourage carelessness in the disposition of cigar and cigarette butts, burnt matches and the like, thereby eliminating unsightly and costly burns on rugs, floors, carpets and furniture as well as reducing the fire hazard and more near 1y satisfying the underwriters and thus reducing the cost of insurance.

Another object of the invention is to provide disposal means which can be self-contained, used on a single floor of a building or which may consist of a plurality of disposal chutes having receiving openings on a plurality of different floors of a building or buildings.

The invention particularly contemplates disposal structure designed to fit into surroundings where it is used without detracting from, but preferably contributing to the artistic or aesthetic, and which will contribute toward the education of the general public in sanitation, respect for the property of others, and good personal habits of neatness and general social. behavior.

Further objects and advantages of the inven- .tion will be apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the present invention;

Fig. 2, an enlarged fragmentary detail, partly broken away, of a portion of the discharge unit of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a further detail of the separating and aerating unit;

Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a. modified form of the present invention;

Fig. 5, a vertical section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6, a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5; and,

Fig. i, a top plan view of the device shown in Figs. 4, 5, 6.

With continued reference to the drawings, and more particularly to Figs. 1-3, inclusive, for purposes of illustration, the present invention contemplates among other things a continuous vertical housing or chute structure [0, having fastening flanges Iii and extending from the basement to the uppermost floor of a building, which flanges may be secured to the walls thereof.

The said chute may be disposed conveniently to the doors ll, of an elevator system close by the elevator call buttons l2, it being understood that smokers when in this location usually discard their cigarettes or cigar ash or stubs, the fumes of which are sometimes particularly offensive or obnoxious in a closed elevator.

Provision is made for the introdudtion of cigarette or cigar ashes or butts on each floor iii, of a building, in which the device of the present invention is installed, by providing an enlarged portion 54 in the chute H], which may be made to attractively match the immediate surroundings thereof.

The enlarged portion M has a gently curved deflecting surface If, on its lower extremity, at the point where such portion contacts the floor it. The top of the enlarged portion I4 is provided with an opening it, about which a guard rail I1 is displaced, to retain articles to be received by said chute.

A match striking plate 18 extends from one side wall to the other side wall of said opening I6, and is angularly positioned to direct articles thrown in contact therewith toward and into the main body of the enlarged portion 14. Similarly, a grill it, having open work 20, is positioned at the opposite side of the opening H5, in the enlarged portion l4, nearest the chute H], which will afford the user a very satisfactory means of knocking the ashes out of his pipe, it being understood that in the event the pipe should be released by the user, it will not be lost in the device, as the grill i8, will prevent it from falling into the opening and thence down the length of the chute I G. The grill [9 also provides a very satisfactory place to grind out cigarette butts, in the event the user should desire to do so. The open work 20, in the grill i9, allows ashes from pipes, or butts to pass therethrough, thence into the chute H].

A relatively narrow slot 2| is also provided in the opening I6 of the enlarged portion l4, as defined by the innermost edges of the match striking plate [8, and the grill l9, such provision being made to directly receive ashes, butts, or matches, when the user does not desire to grind out or otherwise extinguish the same.

It will thus be readily seen that when a butt or other article to be disposed of enters the opening I6 either through the slot 21 or the open work 28 of the grill 19, it will travel downwardly through the enlarged portion M, until said butt or article to be disposed of strikes the curved deflecting surface I contained therein where said butts or other articles to be disposed of will be positively directed to the chute It, for disposal thereof.

The end or lowermost portion of the chute i0, is directly connected to a conically shaped receiving member 22, thence to a relatively power- I ful air pump 23 which continuously draws air through the chute Ill, and the enlarged portions l4 attached thereon, which action discourges the adherence of butts, ashes or other matter, to the inside walls of the chute m and the enlarged receiving portions [4, thus affording a positively clean chute and entry means, it being noted that there are no ledges or other causes for articles to be disposed of to collect on, thereby providing a sanitary unit free from dust or offensive odors.

Air, drawn by the air pump 23, through the connecting member 22, from the chute it and its entry means, will necessarily contain articles to be disposed of, therefore a cyclone separator 24 may be provided for receiving the said air and contents thereof by means of a connecting tube 25, said tube being attached to the discharge end of the air pump 23, thence to a point midway, and off center of the widest portion 26 of the said separator 24.

The contaminated and refuse carrying air will enter the separator 24 under a relatively high pressure due to the action of the pump 23 and will circulate therein at a high rate of speed in its widest portion 26, until the refuse, because of gravity gently detaching it from the highly rotating air stream will gradually pass downwardly to the narrow portion 2'! of the said separatory, where the air stream becomes less violent progressively downward until such refuse will be received in a discharge tube 28 attached to the lowermost portion of said separator. The air will thus be aerated as well as have particles removed therefrom.

A suitable refuse collection box 29 is located directly beneath the discharge tube 28, for retaining articles to be disposed of, and in which such articles will gently come to rest because of the holding action of the turbulent air within the separator 25, thus causing little or no dust to rise and said articles will settle therein. The uppermost portion of said separator may be provided with a relatively short narrow neck open ing 30-, for the discharge of air, and is equipped with a screen or other filtering means 3| to separate any particles which may attempt to pass therethrough.

A convex baffle plate 32 supported by legs 33 is provided to support the same in spaced relation to the air discharge opening 30, thus disbursing the now filtered air evenly through the basement or other part of the building in which the same may be installed. A framework 34, supported by legs 35, mounted on a basement or other floor 36, forms the supporting means for the said separator.

It should also be understood that the present invention is not limited to the separator shown in the drawings, as the receiving tube 22 could readily be attached to an incinerator or furnace, not shown, or the articles to be disposed of could be carried away by conveyors to an appropriate or otherwise desirable location within the build- A modification of the above described device is more clearly illustrated in Figs. 44, inc, wherein an individual receptacle 3! may be placed on each floor of the building without the use of a general collection chute, when circumstance will not permit; or for placing the same throughout the various parts of a structure without the necessity of aligning the same for unitary disposal thereof.

The receptacle 3". is provided with a pair of flan es 38, by means of which said receptacle may be secured by bolts or other fastening elements 39, to a wall or other vertical surface for supporting the same in an upright position.

Provis on 15 likewise made for the introduction of articles to be disposed of an ch as cigar tte or cigar ashes or butts by provi in the uppermost portion of the 1 which a guard or other confining moans ii is placed to direct articles to be disposed of within said opening. An inwardly depending match striking plate 42 may be positioned within said opening, disp 33421 from one side wall to the other and a grill having open work i l may be larly placed on the opposite side wall thereof,

nearest the receptacle supporting sur slot 35 formed by the inwardly dependin edges 01 said match st iking plate :2 and the g l1 #3, is

provided for cceiving live cigarette or c r r butts. while the open work i l of the grill 43 is adapted to receive such butts when extinguished tliercan.

The front surface of the receptacle Si, is provided with an enlarged opening 36, which a slidable door A! is adapted to be raised and 10V,- ered, said door having a depression t t near its top and in line with its center, to provide access for the lingers of the user enabling the opening of the door by lifting the vertically.

Means is also provided to dust-proof the opening 46 and to provide guiding locking means for said slidable door by mounting the backing plate A 9 above and behind the sli' abie or :32. The plate 49 is provided with singularly a osed flanges 59 through which rivets or other fastening elements 5! are adapted to secure the same to the side walls of the receptacle An additional flange 52, disposed along the uppermost edge of said plate and transversely of the flanges 50, is similarly secured to the front wail of the receptacle 3'! by means of rivets or other suitable toning elements 53. The said plate positioned and secured as described above thereby serve as an inner guiding means for the door M, and as a dust proofing element since it forms seal about said door.

The aforementioned plate 49 is provided with a shoulder 54 at the point where the flange '52 is bent inwardly for contact with the forward surface of the receptacle 31, said shoulder not only serving to dust proof the opening, as previously described, but also a limit stop for the door 47, thereby preventing the same from being raised too high, in which event the hand depression 49 will be covered.

A tumbler lock 55 may be mounted on center in the door 47, directly beneath the hand depression 48. Said lock preferably is of the removable type so that it may be inserted only when the door is in its lowermost and sealin position, as shown in Fig. 5. When the door is raised, however slightly, the barrel of the lock. 55 extending inwardly will not clear the opening in which it is contained in the door by reason of the plate 49 obstructing the same. It should therefore be noted that the door 47 may be locked only when in its lowermost and sealing position, thereby providing a dust proof structure.

The barrel of the lock 55 extended inwardly from the door 41 when in this position will engage the lowermost extremity of the plate 49, preventing the opening of the door, except by those having a key, thereby keeping children and other curious people from disturbing the contents therein.

The cut-out portion 46, providing the opening in which the door 41 is contained, does not extend entirely to the side walls of the receptacle 31, but shortly therefrom, forming ears or flanges be, which iianges provide the outer guides for the door 41.

A curved deflector plate is also provided within the receptacle 31, and is secured thereto by means of rivets or other fastening elements 58, at a point opposite from that of the opening 46 and serves as a guiding means for directing articles to be disposed of, such as cigarette or cigar ashes or butts to a removable receiving tray 59 located at the bottom of the receptacle 3?. Said receiving tray may contain sand, or chemical for extinguishin ignited butts which may be dropped therein and for discouraging any offensive or obnoxious odors arising therefrom. It should be noted that by reason of the sealing means of the door 41, circulation of air through the receptacle is negligible as the only open part 6 of said receptacle is at the top where the grill 43 and the match striking plate 62 are located.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawing and de* scribed in the specification but only as indicated in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

Disposal means comprising an open top receptacle having sides and end walls, an upwardly and outwardly projecting narrow guard secured to the top said receptacle along one side and both end walls of the receptacle for directing disposable material into the same, a grill projecting inwardly from the top of the other side wall of the receptacle and terminating in downwardly directed portion spaced from the said one side wall, said grill having slots extending from said one side wall toward said downwardly directed portion, said grill having a continuous bar portion at its terminus extending between and filling the space between said end walls, an inwardly and downwardly projecting lip extending from the said one side wall toward the bar portion of the grill and terminating a distance from the latter an amount substantially greater than the width of said slots to permit the disposal of larger material.

LOUISE E. HARRIS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 930,565 Schwinn Aug. 10, 1909 1,436,405 Rockwood Nov. 21, 1922 1,630,538 Micallef May 31, 1927 1,764,907 Stern June 17, 1930 1,968,191 Danner July 1, 1934 2,256,420 Agee Sept. 16, 1941 2,299,668 l/Vebster Oct. 20, 1942 2,481,378 Wolfset Sept. 6, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 364,390 Great Britain Jan. 7, 1932 577,593 Great Britain May 23, 1946 

